Cyriaque Lamar

Alphas delivered its best showing thus far with "Anger Management," an episode about the team chasing down an Alpha whose pheromones cause everyone in the vicinity to act like they're at a Black Flag show.

Some much needed character time and an expansion of the show's mythology made this episode a fun watch, even if the series still has a way to go. Spoilers!

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"Anger Management" held the "Alpha of the week" format (at Comic-Con we learned that this won't be the case for future episodes). In a nutshell, there's an emotionally unstable Alpha on the loose who has the power to secrete a pheromone that has the power to drive bystanders mad with rage.

At the Comic-Con Alphas panel yesterday, the show's producers revealed that Summer Glau, Brent …
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This Alpha's been causing spontaneous riots all over the East Coast, and our band of superhumans get involved when a brawl suddenly breaks out on on the 1 train.

I really enjoyed how the dysfunctional team finally displayed some unity. Bill got to deliver an unequivocal beat down. Rachel acted as the team's bloodhound — she has the looks of Daphne and modus of Scooby! That dashing wild card Hicks showed off his hyperkinetic parkour, and Gary worked from his bedroom. The closing scene with Hicks and Gary demonstrated that these characters are developing an affection for each other, something we didn't see last episode.

Other things I liked (in no particular order)

1.) David Straithairn's wind-up punch when he went nuts (first video).
2.) Unassuming Binghamton, New York is where the Uncontrollable Alpha Prison is. We also learn that a regretful Dr. Rosen has sent a lot of Alphas to Binghamton.
3.) Gary's acknowledgment that he's not allowed to watch Rain Man.
4.) The pheromone Alpha's Hulk howl/Wilhelm Scream when he activates his powers (first video again).

Still, there were some cornball touches. Killing off Leoben this early in the game seemed like a waste. When the stinky Alpha released the crazy booger pheromone from his knuckles, he came off as Wolverine of NasoneX-Men. The 28 Days Later knock-off music in the fight scene was also unnecessary.

Finally, I know 99% of viewers won't give a fig about this, but given the lengths Alphas goes to remind viewers that it occurs in New York City, the show's subway cars still look extremely Canadian.